Google changes its Maps projection from 2D to globe format

Google has updated its Maps app, which now allows users to view the world as a globe. The new 3D Globe Mode map has been updated from the previous flat version.

The view of the world is available on Google Maps if one zooms out to the maximum extent on the desktop version. The proportion of the individual countries are more accurately projected in the new format.

With 3D Globe Mode on Google Maps desktop, Greenland's projection is no longer the size of Africa.

Just zoom all the way out at https://t.co/mIZTya01K3pic.twitter.com/CIkkS7It8d — Google Maps (@googlemaps) August 2, 2018

The world was earlier represented on a flat, two dimensional surface by using the Mercator projection. A major flaw of this method is that surfaces nearer to the poles are projected much larger than their original size.

As a result, Greenland is projected as 14 times larger than its the actual size. Countries like Canada, Sweden, Finland and Norway are seen to be larger than in reality.

A google employee earlier stated that the logic for implementing the Mercator projection was the preservation of angles of roads.

Also, Google added an update of displaying the battery percentage status to its location sharing feature last week.